Switchgear cabinet with framework and base

ABSTRACT

A switchgear cabinet having a framework secured on a frame-like base. The framework has branches and is closed or closable by wall elements and at least one door. In order to design a switchgear cabinet that is as earthquake-proof as possible, a bottom side of the branches of a lower frame of the framework is connected by a plate-like damper frame to the top side of the base, which in turn may be fixed to a cabinet supporting surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a switchgear cabinet with a rack fastened on aframe base, which is assembled from frame legs and is closed or can beclosed with wall elements and at least one cabinet door.

2. Description of Prior Art

In known switchgear cabinets of this type, the base and the rack arefixedly connected with each other and form a rigid unit together withthe wall elements fixed on the rack, in which built-ins are fixedlyinstalled. If such a switchgear cabinet is employed in an earthquakearea, there is the danger that great damage can be caused because of thesolid, rigid construction, which leads to complete breakdown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to produce a switchgear cabinet ofthe type mentioned above, which resists forces occurring in the courseof an earthquake and, if possible, remains able to function, whereinsimple parts can be used, which can also be retrofitted in standardcabinets.

In accordance with this invention this object is attained with a lowerframe of a rack connected by the undersides of frame legs by aplate-shaped damping frame to the top of the base, which can be fixedlyconnected with the support surface.

Through the damping frame, the base fixedly connected with the supportsurface allows a displacement, limited on all sides, of the rack, sothat the forces transmitted by an earthquake through the base areabsorbed by the damping frame. The rack can be displaced as a unit withrespect to the base, so that damages are considerably reduced, if noteven prevented. It is possible in connection with a standard cabinet toeasily retrofit the damping frame after removal of the base.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the top of the basesupports U-shaped rails in a frame shape, which form a receptacle, openat the top, for the plate-shaped damping frame, so that laterally actingshearing and tensile forces can be absorbed by the damping frame.

An unintentional release of the rack from the base is prevented in thatthe rack and the base are loosely connected with each other in thecorner areas, through the damping frame, by screws.

In accordance with a further embodiment, near the lower frame of therack facing the interior space of the switchgear cabinet, there is aguide frame with guide bars for a mounting plate with small guide blocksfastened on the plate-shaped damping frame. The mounting plate with thedevices or the like fastened thereon is also housed resiliently on allsides in the rack. In this case the guide frame is not in connectionwith the switchgear cabinet and is resiliently fastened on all sides. Itis also possible to utilize only guide rails in place of the guideframe.

Dependability can further be increased when the rack is resilientlysuspended in an area of its upper frame by spring elements on a supportrail or a support frame which can be fixed on a wall or a cover.

A further embodiment provides that the damping frame has a vertical barwhich fills the space between the frame legs of the lower frame of therack and the guide frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention is explained in view of an exemplary embodimentrepresented in the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basic structure of a switchgearcabinet with a base, damping frame, rack and mounting plate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective partial view of a connection between the base,damping frame, guide frame and rack;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded partial view of a connection of anupper area of a mounting plate with the rack; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a resilient attachment of an upper areaof a rack on a wall, according to one preferred embodiment of thisinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The lateral legs 11 and 12 of the frame base 10 is shown in FIG. 1,which in such embodiment are square hollow profiled sections which canbe fastened to a support surface in a known manner, for example byscrewing. The lower and upper frames of the rack 20 are only partiallyshown in FIG. 1. The frame legs 21, 22, 23 and 24 form the rear frame ofthe rack 20, wherein it is also possible to employ corner connectors 29at the corners for assembling the rack 20.

The lower frame is connected by means of the undersides of frame legs24, 27, 28 with the top of the base 10 via a plate-shaped damping frame15. In this case the damping frame 15 is laterally maintained by meansof a U-shaped support frame, having lateral legs, or rails identifiedwith element reference numerals 13 and 14, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.The frame legs 25 and 26, which are used as depth struts, branch offfrom the upper rear frame leg 22 and, together with the lower frame legs27 and 28 used as depth struts, lead to the front frame, not shown, ofthe rack 20.

As a screw 19 in a corner area of the base 10 shows, the base 10 isloosely screwed together with the rack 20 through the damping frame 15in order to limit movement of the parts away from each other and toprevent unintended separation. A guide frame for a mounting plate 30 isfastened on the damping frame 15 inside the lower frame of the rack 20.The damping frame 15 supports a vertical bar 16, which fills up thespace between the lower frame of the rack 20 and the guide frame. Thelateral legs 17 and 18 of the guide frame are indicated, which formvertically upwardly directed, double-layered guide bars 17.1 and 18.1.The mounting plate 30, which has small guide blocks 31 and 32 on theunderside, can be pushed into a switchgear cabinet on these guide bars17.1 and 18.1.

The upper area of the mounting plate 30 is fastened with small dampingblocks 35 on the fastening elements 33 and 34, which are attached to theupper frame legs 25 and 26, used as depth struts. In this way themounting plate 30 with devices and the like fastened thereon is alsoadjustable, limited on all sides, as a unit in the rack 20, so thatforces are even better absorbed. The upper area of the rack 20 can besuspended via spring elements 41 on the support rails 40 or on a supportframe, fastened on the cover. In this embodiment screw hooks 42 arescrewed into the corner connectors 29, which have threaded receivers, asshown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper area of the rack 20 canalso be resiliently fastened on one or more walls, wherein the springelements 41 act horizontally. These spring elements 41 are preferablyembodied as helical screws which can absorb both tensile and pressureforces.

An upper connection between the mounting plate 30 and a frame leg 26 ofthe rack 20, used as a depth strut, is represented in FIG. 3. Thefastening element 34 is screwed to the frame leg 26 and by means ofsmall damping blocks 35 is fastened, which results in play damped on allsides, for the mounting plate 30.

It is clear that the damping frame 15 and the small damping blocks 35can also be later used for retrofitting the switchgear cabinet, sincethe rack 20 continues to be a single unit and need only be released fromthe base.

I claim:
 1. In a switchgear cabinet with a rack fastened on a framebase, wherein the rack is assembled with frame legs and the rack isclosed by a wall element, the improvement comprising:a lower frame ofthe rack (20) connected by undersides of the frame legs (24, 27, 28) bya plate-shaped damping frame (15) to a top of the base (10), the cabinetfurther includes a mounting plate (30), a plurality of guide blocks (3132) attached to the mounting plate (30), the guide blocks (31,32) andlocated near the lower frame of the rack (20) and an interior space ofthe switchgear cabinet, and a guide frame having a plurality of guidebars (17.1, 18.1) for the guide blocks (31, 32) being fastened on thedamping frame (15).
 2. In a switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim1, wherein the top of the base (10) supports a plurality of U-shapedrails (13, 14) in a frame shape which form a receptacle open at the topfor the plate-shaped damping frame (15).
 3. In a switchgear cabinet inaccordance with claim 2, whereinthe rack (20) and the base (10) areloosely connected with each other in a plurality of corner areas throughthe damping frame (15) by a plurality of screws (19).
 4. In a switchgearcabinet in accordance with claim 3, wherein the rack (20) is resilientlysuspended in an area of an upper frame of the rack (20) by a pluralityof spring elements (41) on a support rail (40).
 5. In a switchgearcabinet in accordance with claim 1, wherein in an upper area of the rack(20) the mounting plate (30) is fastened with a plurality of dampingblocks (35) on a plurality of fastening elements (33, 34) which areconnected with the rack (20).
 6. In a switchgear cabinet in accordancewith claim 5, whereinthe damping frame (15) has a vertical bar (16)filling a space between the frame legs (24, 27, 28) of the lower frameof the rack (20) and the guide frame.
 7. In a switchgear cabinet inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the U-shaped of rails are fastened onthe damping frame (15).
 8. In a switchgear cabinet in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the rack (20) and the base (10) are loosely connectedwith each other in a plurality of corner areas through the damping frame(15) by a plurality of screws (19).
 9. In a switchgear cabinet inaccordance with claim 1, wherein the rack (20) is resiliently suspendedin an area of an upper frame of the rack (20) by a plurality of springelements (41) on a support rail (40).
 10. In a switchgear cabinet inaccordance with claim 1, wherein in an upper area of the rack (20), themounting plate (30) is fastened with a plurality of damping blocks (35)on a plurality of fastening elements (33, 34) which are connected withthe rack (20).
 11. In a switchgear cabinet in accordance with claim 1,wherein the damping frame (15) has a vertical bar (16) filling a spacebetween the frame legs (24, 27, 28) of the lower frame of the rack (20)and the guide frame.
 12. In a switchgear cabinet in accordance withclaim 1, wherein a plurality of rails are fastened on the damping frame(15).
 13. In a switchgear cabinet with a rack fastened on a frame base,wherein the rack is assembled with frame legs and the rack is closed bya wall element, the improvement comprising:a lower frame of the rack(20) connected by undersides of the frame legs (24, 27, 28) by aplate-shaped damping frame (15) to a top of the base (10), and the topof the base (10) supporting a plurality of U-shaped rails (13, 14) in aframe shape which form a receptacle open at the top for the plate-shapeddamping frame (15).
 14. In a switchgear cabinet with a rack fastened ona frame base, wherein the rack is assembled with frame legs and the rackis closed by a wall element, the improvement comprising:a lower frame ofthe rack (20) connected by undersides of the frame legs (24, 27, 28) bya plate-shaped damping frame (15) to a top of the base (10), the rack(20) resiliently suspended in an area of an upper frame of the rack (20)by a plurality of spring elements (41) on one of a support rail (40) anda support frame.